Cloudbursts cause devastation in Himachal; 4 dead, 16 missing in Mandi

Monsoon rains have wreaked havoc across Himachal Pradesh with a series of cloudbursts reported at 10 locations in Mandi district and one in Kinnaur, causing significant loss of life and property.

Four people lost their lives in Gohar, Karsog, and Dharampur areas of Mandi. One death each was reported from Old Market Karsog and Dharampur, while two deaths occurred in Gohar. Sixteen people remain missing in various parts of Mandi, with ongoing search and rescue operations.

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According to the State Disaster Management Authority, cloudbursts were reported in Rakchham (Kinnaur), Thunag (Mandi), Kutti Bypass and Old Market (Karsog), Rikki (Karsog), Syanj, Bassi, and Talwara (Gohar), and Syathi and Bhadarana (Dharampur).

The intense rainfall damaged 18 houses and 12 cow shelters. In Bijni, part of an under-construction tunnel collapsed, though workers at the site managed to escape.

More than 15 vehicles were swept away in flash floods across Mandi. In Syanj, Gohar, nine people from two houses were washed away. In Syathi village, Dharampur, a landslide destroyed two homes and five cow sheds. Several houses and a temple were swept away in Kuklah.

In Syanj stream (Gohar subdivision), a house was washed away by a severe flood.

A mother and daughter were rescued, but seven others remain missing. In Mandap tehsil near Sundal village, flash floods were reported in the stream coming from Kafalwani Mata Temple. Fortunately, no casualties were reported there. In Syathi village, Laungani panchayat (Dharampur), a landslide razed a house and multiple cow shelters, with possible loss of livestock and mules.

In wake of the continued rainfall, the administration declared a holiday for all schools and colleges in Mandi, Hamirpur, and Kangra districts. Other districts including Shimla, Chamba, Kullu, and Hamirpur have also reported significant damage due to flash floods, landslides, and fallen trees.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the cloudbursts and heavy rain have caused damages estimated at around Rs 500 crore.

Due to heavy rain, the water level at Pandoh Dam in Mandi rose to 2,922 feet, nearing the danger mark of 2,941 feet. To manage the level, over 1.5 lakh cusecs of water are being released into the Beas River, which is now overflowing and has reached Panchvaktra Temple in Mandi.

Authorities have issued an alert asking residents to avoid riverbanks and move to safer areas.

Meanwhile, the Shimla Meteorological Centre has forecast continuous rain for the next six days, with an orange alert for heavy rainfall on July 2, 3, 6, and 7, and a yellow alert for July 4 and 5. Flash flood risk remains high in catchment areas of several districts including Mandi, Kullu, Hamirpur, Shimla, Sirmaur, and Solan.